Site to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth. Discuss my quest to run the Boston Marathon while having CMT. Talk about training and doing marathons, half marathons, triathalons and duathalons. Discuss being an athlete with a disability.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Interesting things seem to happen to me in races. The Olympian race held in Racine on August 13th was no exception.

This was really a race within a race. It was the first year for this and it was also the Wisconsin State Championship for the Wisconsin Senior Olympics or the Geezer Games as I like to call them. It is the qualifying event for the National Championship next year in Birmingham.

There were two events, a 5K and a 10 K. I thought there would be less competition in the 10 K so I signed up for that race.

The 10 K race would start first and follow the 5 K course for about 2 miles and then continue on.

About 40 of us lined up for the start of the10 K. It was sunny in the mid 80's and humid.
The race director went over the course directions and she lost me after about the 5th turn.

As the group took off, I said to the runner next to me...."They're going out too fast. I thought I would reel more than a few of them in during the last few miles.

I cruised along at an easy pace. I planned on doing the race as an easy run. I got to a turn and pointed to the right and a police officer motioned me to go left.

The course was beautiful, run mostly in parks along Lake Michigan. There was not another runner in site. That is unusual for me. I am a middle of the pack runner or a bit higher.

As I ran along I started passing walkers wearing t-shirts that said "Faith and Fitness". They must have been a church group out for a group event. I called greetings out to many of them. One told me I was in the lead. I told her there was a pack ahead of me.

A minute or so later, a police officer on a mountain bike cruised up beside me and spoke into his radio that he had the lead runner.

He would go on to tell me that most of the runners turned the wrong way on the course and did the 5K instead. So not only was I the lead female runner, I was the lead runner. I now had my own police escort. It was nice to have company and since he had a radio I had the blow by blow on the race.

When I got to the 4 mile water stop I think the volunteers were glad to see me since I was their first customer of the day. I was carrying a water bottle and told them I wanted to fill it. They offered to do it and Mr. Police officer offered to bring it to me if I wanted to keep running.

I could get used to that kind of service. It was nice to have his company all the way to the finish. The race director had the wrong turn runners, do the 5K course twice. When I was directed the wrong way in a triathlon this year, I was disqualified. I just can't seem to get the right end of these situations
I heard the combined total was only 5.8 K not the normal 6.2 K

I think my course was long since I finished in 1 hr 5 minutes. In any case I won my age group and finished 3rd among all the women. My time was not good enough to qualify me for the National Games. There is now a pretty tight time standard. I am the State Champ which is good enough.

I was a bit over-scheduled that weekend. I went to a Brewer's baseball game on Friday night. Did this race followed by a 20 mile bike ride. Saturday night I had a high school reunion and I had to do packet pickup and rack my bike for a Sunday triathlon.

I woke up Sunday morning and did not feel well. I had lost my voice and felt like I was getting a cold. So I decided to skip the triathlon. Just too much for one weekend.

*************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 198 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Friday, August 26, 2016

I have adapted another recipe from the latest issue of the magazine Willow and Sage. I use it for fine lines around my eyes, The beeswax makes it a pretty stiff product, I take a bit out of the jar and rub it between my hands to soften the mixture. I then apply to my laugh and smile lines at night before I go to bed.

Combine the beeswax and almond oil in a pint glass jar. Put into a saucepan filled with water. The water should be high enough to cover whatever mixture is in the jar. Beeswax is flammable so never heat it directly. Once the beeswax is melted, remove from the heat to cool a bit. Add the honey and continue to stir so the product does not seperate. Add the oils. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to get thick. When it starts to turn white, pour into the jar. Store in a cool and dark place.

************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Monday, August 22, 2016

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -St. Francis of Assisi

In early August I did two races in two days. My coaches would not have approved. Good thing I am self coached these days.

I didn't intend to over schedule myself. I had so much fun doing one of the Beer Garden 5K's that I signed up for another one. This race series has been following the mobile beer garden around the Milwaukee County parks. I had forgotten how much fun it was to run a 5K race. There were at night too which was a bonus. No early morning wake-up call. The only problem was I had forgotten I was scheduled to do the third race in a three race Aquathlon series.

Series points were on the line for the Aquathlon and I needed the open water practice in my run up to the ITU World Championship in Cozumel. So I decided to do both events

First up was the Aquathlon on August 3rd. I had finished 3rd and 1st and I was hoping to finish 3rd overall for women in the 50-59 age group.

I planned on going easy on both the swim or run. The swim course is two loops. As I was coming around on the 2nd loop I noticed the kayak was following me. There were swimmers just ahead of me including one woman in my age group.

As I exited the swim I asked if I was the last one out and I was told yes. So I had to push on the run a bit to catch the woman just ahead of me. I actually moved ahead of four other athletes on the run. Jeff Crosby sped up just as I passed him in the last half mile. I said " you just can't let a woman beat you can you" So he said we should hold hands and finish together. They scored him ahead of me. I finished in 55:40 good enough for 3rd place in my age group.

It was still hot the evening of the Beer Garden run. Race time temperature was 92 F. I decided this 5 K would be a very easy run. The last run I pushed it and finished just 12 seconds out of third. There were about 36 women in my age group so I was proud of that finish. That plan turned out to be a good one. My hamstrings were a bit sore and I was a little tired after doing a 800 meter swim/5K run the day before.

I almost thought I had taken a wrong turn when I went through the finish line after about 20 minutes, then I realized everyone continued to run and it was just part of the course.

I crossed the finish line in 30:47, which was almost two minutes slower than the previous run. I got my glass or root beer stretched and went home. When I check the results when I got home I was surprised to see I had placed 3rd in my age group and I was not far out of 2nd.

So I had good races and a great time. I would not recommend doing a doubleheader. I was not able to do really well in either race,

**********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Sunday, August 21, 2016

I had bean tostadas for dinner several nights this week. I was trying to think of a more healthy way to enjoy the flavors of Mexican cooking. I came up with this salad that has lots of the same flavors of fajitas. I sprinkled the chicken breast with fajita seasoning when I baked it. I used a mixture of both red and white quinoa. It turned out to be a really beautiful and tasty salad.

Put the cooked quinoa, beans, olives, mango, tomatoes, onions and avocado in a large salad bowl. Mix well to combine all the ingredients. To make the dressing for the salad, combine the olive oil, salsa, cilantro, and crushed red peppers. Pour over the quinoa mixture and mix to coat the entire mixture. Chill

Serves 6

*******************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Friday, August 19, 2016

Apple cider is great for your health and it has uses beyond cooking. To get the greatest benefit, be sure to buy an unfiltered kind like Bragg's organic raw apple cider vinegar. It is unpasteurized and unfiltered. Both add to the health benefits from the pro-biotics present which aid digestion. Other benefits include:

Lower Cholesterol- A study where rats were fed apple cider vinegar had a significant reduction of the bad cholesterol LDL. LDL has been linked to increased risk of heart attack. There was also an increase in the good cholesterol HDL.

Apple cider is great for your health and it has uses beyond cooking. To get the greatest benefit, be sure to buy an unfiltered kind like Bragg's organic raw apple cider vinegar. It is unpasteurized and unfiltered. Both add to the health benefits from the pro-biotics present which aid digestion. Other benefits include:

Lower Cholesterol- A study where rats were fed apple cider vinegar had a significant reduction of the bad cholesterol LDL. LDL has been linked to increased risk of heart attack. There was also an increase in the good cholesterol HDL.

Friday, August 12, 2016

I have always had sensitive skin. I started making my own melt and pour soap a few years ago because my skin would get like sandpaper in the winter.

So I have started to make my own lotions as well. I adapted this recipe from a recent issue of the magazine "Willow and Sage". Be sure to use fractionated coconut oil. It stays liquid and is more easily absorbed. I got mine on Amazon. I modeled this after a produce I used to from DHC. I do not wear foundation because it always felt heavy to me. The DHC product looked and felt natural and just gave me a healthy glow. They stopped making it and now I make my own.

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Scoop the lotion into a plastic bag. Cut off the corner and squeeze the mixture into a bottle.

I use this as a day time face moisturizer. It is nice and light. It gives me a nice healthy glow. If you want more of that affect add a little more of the powder. Pearl powder can also be used.

****************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Thursday, August 11, 2016

In this months MDA Quest Magazine, an article appeared announcing clinical trails accepting patients. I believe this is the Pharmex trail that the HNF announced recently.

Researchers are accepting 300 patients for the trial. There will be 28 trial sites in the United States ( California, Conneticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York and Washington) and Europe (France, Germany, United Kingdon, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium).

The trail will be examining if PXT 3003 is effective and well tolerated for those with CMT type 1A.
PXT 3003 is a blend of three different drugs whose aim is to reduce levels of the PMP 22 protein.

This is the protein that damages the nerve sheath. It is hoped the trail will show it stops or slows progression of the diaese.

Participants may be male or female, 16 to 65 years old with a proven genetic diagnosis of CMT 1A.

To learn more about the trail and additional requirements, visit ClinicalTrails.gov and enter NCT02579759 into the search box.

This is the news we have been waiting for. We have waited for any hope of a treatment for CMT.

*****************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." -Dali Lama

Triathlon is a three sport discipline; swim, bike and run. The open water swim has always been the most challenging for me and where I have had the most things go wrong, sometimes horribly wrong.

I had a bit of anxiety in my first triathlon this season,but since then I have felt calm and confident in the water.

Every week I go to open water practice at Pewaukee Lake here in Wisconsin, sponsored by local training group Peak Performance Professionals. Many of the athletes are training for Ironman Wisconsin in September.

Many of the local triathletes show up for the practice. A 500 meter course is set up and open for 2 hours. There are lifeguards and kayaks for safety. I had been swimming week after week and really enjoying not only the swim but hanging out with other triathletes.

Since we were in mid-July I decided to wear my shortie wet suit. I have honestly gained a few pounds since I bought it four years ago and it has always been tight in the chest and neck.

I have often been short of breath when starting swim practice or a race. This night as I swam around the course, I could not catch my breath. I did not feel anxious at all. I tried side stroking and things got worse. I was having more and more trouble breathing. I knew I was in trouble and called over a guard on a stand up paddle board. I paused to rest and a few minutes later pushed off to resume my swim. It was not much longer before I was in trouble again. There was no kayak anywhere near and I struggled to breath. I could see the kayak but they had not noticed me. I waved my arms and shouted to call them over.

By this time I was wheezing. If you know someone with asthma or if you have it yourself you know what wheezing sounds like. Every time you exhale when you wheeze you make a high pitched sound. It means the air ways are constricting. It is not a good sign. Because I was close to shore I decided to swim for it. I did not want the humiliation of a kayak ride to the beach. I struggled and struggled to get to shore. I was so close and yet seemed to far away. I understand now how people drown even with others close. With a wet suit on I was not going to sink or drown. I stayed calm and finally I touched bottom. Practise was over for me.

Just two days later I had Aquathlon Race #2 in the three race series I am doing. I signed up for the 800 meter swim and 5K run in a county park because I knew it would be good practise for the World Championship race I will be doing in September in Cozumel.

I could have bailed after my bad practice, but I decided to get right back up on the horse. I used a different wet suit. I will not be using the other suit again.

This race is small with about 70 racers and is a mass start. That is a challenge because it is like swimming in a washing machine. It can be easy to get thrown by that. I was going to take it at a reasonable pace. The swim also is a two lap course. It can be tempting to get out after one lap since there is a 400 meter division of the race.

The swim went just fine. I felt calm and strong. I am one of the slower swimmers but there were still 3 or 4 others in the water. As I started on the run, I pulled up along side the President for the Wisconsin Senior Olympics. We had a nice chat, but he was a bit slow for my pace.

I had a nice race and was expecting 3rd, but when I checked the results I had finished 1st in my age group 50-59, with a time of 56:30. It was slower due to my chat, but overall a nice race.

So even though I had a set back at practice, I was able to come back just a few days later and have a good swim. I felt proud of bouncing back so well. After this race I would have a couple of weeks off for vacation. When I returned I would start training for my A race of the year, the Aqua Bike National Championship in Miami on November 13th.

**********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Monday, August 8, 2016

If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control, myself. " -Stephen R. Covey
I have not done many running events in the last 2 years. I have been so busy training for national level events for triathlon that there was not much room for local events.

This year I decided to do a lot more local events. I am only doing one National Championship event this year in Florida in November. I also decided the run portion of my triathlons has gotten so slow I needed to do something.

My solution is a few changes to my training and to do more local races. I did a 4 mile race on the 4th of July and had so much fun I signed up for a 5 K just three days later. It would be the day before my birthday and seemed a good way to celebrate.

The Beer Garden 5K is a series of five races. Milwaukee has parks in all of the neighborhoods. Many of the early settlers to the city were of German heritage. Many of the parks had beer gardens in the summer. In recent years three of the parks have opened permanent summer gardens. There is also a county run traveling beer garden. It sets up at a county park for a few weeks and moves to another park. The bars are trailers and the county sets up picnic tables. They have been hugely successful and are a real gathering spot for the local community.

This run series follows the traveling beer garden. The entry included a tee-shirt and a pint glass with a free Sprecher beer or root beer. It is also an evening event starting at 6:30 p,m. No early morning wake up call or long drive.

I had missed the first two events. I signed up for number three because it was in Grant Park, a beautiful park not far from home.

I got there early to snag a spot in the closest parking lot. I used my bike to do a 30 minute ride and then a short run with some sprints to warm-up. I lined up with about 1000 other runners.

I took off with the gun following my race plan to run for 4 to 5 minutes and then to do 2 minute intervals with 2 minutes rest. My hamstrings were sore from the race just 3 days earlier. My legs were also a little tired. I kept with my plan and stopped at the water stop to pour water over myself. I got a little tired during the last mile so I stopped doing the intervals and finished as best I could.

I crossed the finish line in about 28:41. I usually don't need to stay around for awards, but I knew my time might be good enough for 3rd place. So I hung out, had my root beer and chatted with some locals. It is a custom for strangers to share a table at the beer garden. Well the awards came and went and my name was not called. When I got home I checked the results and I had placed 4th, just 12 seconds out of 3rd. If I had done the last few intervals I could have had 3rd. Still I felt good about my finish since there were probably 36-40 runners in my age group.

Best of all I had a blast and got in a good workout. I signed up for the next installment on August 3rd.

**************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Sunday, August 7, 2016

I got a chance to go to the West Allis Farmers market on Saturday. It is one of the oldest markets in Wisconsin. It has been held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays long before these markets became popular.

I don't get to go often due to my travel, training and race schedule. August is a great time to go and buy local produce. When my mom was alive I would often take her and she loved the market.

She would always want to go early so she could go to the chicken vendor and buy chicken feet for her homemade soup before they ran out. She swore it made the soup taste better, we all thought it was kind of weird. Turns out those feet are high in collagen with lots of healthy benefits. I always think of her when I go to the farmer's market.

I feel like I am getting healthier food when I buy from local growers. I go and buy what looks good and then decide how to use it when I get home. Most of the ingredients for today's salad came from my garden or the farmers market. Hope you enjoy it.

Cut tomatoes in half and seed, Then cut into bite size pieces. Cut ends off of cucumber and discard. Cut the rest into bite size chunks. Slice and chop the onion. Add all to a large salad bowl. Add the cheese and toss to mix. Add the dressing and mix well. Chill for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend.

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Friday, August 5, 2016

Over the last two years I have been making small changes to my eating to help me be healthy and perform better as an athlete. Those small changes add up over time and now I am starting the same process to eliminate harmful chemicals from my personal and cleaning products.

My first candidate was insect repellent. The effective agent in most insect products is DEET. It is effective but potentially harmful.

Since the mosquito's get pretty bad here in Wisconsin, I still needed something when I am outside. So I did an Internet search and came up with two versions.

Fill an 8 ounce spray bottle half full of distilled water.
Add witch hazel almost to the top.
Add 1/2 tsp glycerin
Add 30 to 50 drops of any combination of essential oils. The more oils used, the stronger the spray.

Vodka can be used in place of the witch hazel.

If the spray will be used during the day do not use any citrus such as lemongrass. Citrus essential oils make your skin sun sensitive and you can get a sunburn.

Be sure to shake the bottle before each use. I used a mixture when I was in Dallas last week and the only time I got any bites was when I forgot to wear it. I did a day time blend with no citrus and a night time blend that had several citrus oils.

Both mixtures had tea tree, lavender, citronella, peppermint and eucalyptus. For the night time mixture I added orange and lemon oil. The citronella was a bit strong for me so next time I may try less/

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 196 members in 37 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing